Pages

Thursday, February 8, 2018

While searching for a BLT recipe, I decided to try this simple cashew mayo recipe. It's so amazing we now put it in wraps, sandwiches, salads and as a veggie dip for school lunches. I keep the spice down to 1 teaspoon for the kids. I used my high speed blender as the blade on my food processor is getting quite dull. Haven't tried it with sunflower seeds as a nut free option, yet. Please let me know if you do.

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 4-8 hours then drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)

3 tablespoons plain soy or almond milk

1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce (less or more to taste)...we use 1 teaspoon

1/4 teaspoon salt

DirectionsPlace the soaked cashews in a food processor fitted with the S-blade (or use a high speed blender) and process until a thick paste forms. Add lemon juice, milk, Sriracha, and salt. Continue blending until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.

Directions
Combine first 9 ingredients in a stand up mixer, mixing until well combined. Add in chocolate chips, stirring a few more times until distributed in mixture. Place mixture into 9x12 pan. Spread mixture evenly and smoothly into the pan with a pastry/pizza roller. Refrigerate for at least an hour before cutting and serving bars.

*Date syrup can be made taking 1 cup of pitted dates, soaking the dates for at least 15 minutes in hot water before blending them along with the soaking water to create a syrup. Store extra in a sealed container in your refrigerator for future use.

Thursday, November 9, 2017

This is an adapted version of the Spinach-Artichoke Scramble from Forks Over Knives. We eat this most mornings in wrap with cheese for the kids, in a bowl with hot sauce for the adults or on a piece of toast. Preparing over the weekend for an easy reheat on busy weekday mornings works well for us. Substitute in your favorite veggies if you like. The key is the press your tofu removing excess water or it won't turn out correctly. If you choose to use hash browns, cook out as much excess water as possible. Black salt (kala namak) will help give the dish an egg-like flavor and smell.

Directions
Combine crumbled tofu, garlic, nutritional yeast, oregano, basil, and turmeric in a bowl; mix well, then season with black salt & pepper to taste.
Sauté onions and mushrooms in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in diced potatoes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are cooked through, about 6 minutes.
Distribute tofu mixture evenly in skillet, sauté until underneath of tofu pieces are golden brown.
Stir, then add chopped spinach, cooking until it has wilted.
Season with black salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm.

Friday, October 13, 2017

My husband makes these amazing cauliflower poppers most weekends. He can throw everything together in about 5 minutes, then into the oven. He makes 1/2 the cauliflower with BBQ sauce and the other 1/2 with hot sauce. We all devour them as if we've never seen food before. We'll serve baked potatoes, green salad, baked beans or other items to help round out the meal. Delicious!

Ingredients

2/3c rice flour (or another grain flour)

2/3c almond flour

1t onion powder

1/2t salt

1c plant milk (or slightly more - you want it like pancake batter)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Mix in a bowl all ingredients.

3. Cut head of cauliflower broken into bite sized chunks, tossing the chunks into the batter as you cut.

4. Mix cauliflower chunks until coated with batter.

5. Distribute chunks evenly on a baking pan. Use either parchment paper or a silicone mat to keep pieces from sticking

6. Cook in oven for 20-25 minutes, watch for brown color. Flip the pieces with a spatula at about the 15 minute mark when the tops have browned a bit.

7. Put bbq sauce in a bowl, (about 1/2c). Take tray out of oven and toss cauliflower in the bbq sauce to coat.

8. Put pieces back on the sheet pan and cook for another 5 minutes coated in the sauce.

Monday, September 25, 2017

This casserole from Fat Free Vegan is packed full of flavor and nutrients. Anytime I can make a dish containing the wonder spice turmeric I go for it. Just look at all of the articles about turmeric over at Nutrition Facts. Everyone eats this cashew-based cheese casserole with delight. Some add salsa, some add a splash of hot sauce, while I prefer it as is. The texture of the optional chickpeas is not something we prefer so we leave it out and add chopped mushrooms. Next time, I'll try some black lentils to see how those hold up. In the meantime, enjoy!

Ingredients

Sauce

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup plain, no sugar plant milk

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 cup raw cashews

3 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

black pepper to taste

Casserole

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

16 ounces hash browns, thawed (or 1/2-inch cubed potatoes)

8 ounces mushrooms, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º. Use 11 x 9 dish (we didn't have to oil ours to keep from sticking but use parchment paper if concerned on first batch).

After years of failed yogurt recipes, I finally found one that works. It's delicious! The key is the plant-based milk (no additives, just simple organic soybeans and water) and the probiotic starter. I could see it being used as a sour cream without the optional ingredients. My kids like it with 3 tablespoons of maple syrup. Hoping to get that down to 2 tablespoons soon. I tried date paste without success. Enjoy!

Directions
Place plant milk in blender on lowest speed. Empty contents of capsule into blender. Add maple syrup and vanilla extract if using. Fill 7 half pint mason jars to equal levels. Place in Instant Pot, selecting the yogurt button. Set time for 9 1/2 hours. When time is up, remove jars, put lids on and place in refrigerator to cool for at least 30 minutes.